Never cared much for Bobby’s singing in this period. Much rather listen to Jerry and Pig. Simply can't get enough Blues and Psychedelic Rock from those two.

We're quite lucky that this show has survived with such decent sound quality. This show was the 2nd night of two they did at Winterland, the day after their 1st album came out. The actual album release party was held at some place called Fugazi Hall (in the City) on the 20th. While I agree with may others here that this is a great show for it's time, I'm not as enamored with Garcia's Guild Starfire sound as some others posting below. But you have to appreciate the show on it's own terms. It's great to hear how far they had evolved since '65...their chops, the jams, etc. This show really opened my ears to how skilled Phil had become this early in the game. Just amazing, he's brilliantly all over the place. Viola Lee here is really excellent. But my fave passage in the show is the unexpected long jam in The Same Thing. Jerry goes into some really creative places here, bending the music in a beautiful way.
Oh, and Chuck Berry played there both nights as well...(re: Deadbase). Oh, to be a fly on the wall to hear THOSE backstage conversations!

6 days before my first GD show!

Legend has it Bobby was a terror w/ a cache of water balloons. Don't let him near the cream puffs! This version blows the top of my head off. Is this band trying to start a "Love Riot"? I don't know what that means. Have a grate day.

Always felt this show (if cleaned up a bit - which might be too expensive - would be a candidate for Dave's Picks -- especially considering the fantastic job they did on The Same Thing for So Many Roads. Make a suitable end to the 50th anniversary.

Just curious...may have already been explained, if so, my apologies.

Whoa, what a gem! 14 songs all there and shiny.
The Pig man is in his prime, and Jerry is stepping out. If you ask me, the quality is stellar for the era. Now dolphins are splashing, a green sea turtle is eating fish eggs out of a coral pocket, as a purple sea snake coils up in the sand. Yes!

The track that is most like how the band would be sounding by 1970 is 'Dancin in the Streets'.
Pigpen is the most polished front man here as Bobby and Jerry are still learning their craft.
Jerry sounds much better vocally on Death Don't as opposed to Cream Puff.
Some of the jams get pretty wild and primal.
SURFS Up!!

on the ship of the sun. and captain cat sits in the middle by the pump collecting dewgrazed sounds so fine. amazing lopes and you can hear the invisible starfall and dab fills. The Same Thing is royal. i recommend moving here and riding the tilts.

but hell this show is only 5 years younger than me and i'm 51 a true raw gritty down & dirty jam session. Jerry kills me w/ his 2nd set intro. into Cream Puff I'd like to continue the proceedings lol. killer early un-tainted GD here for sure. Only reason not a 5 is because of 67 technology as far as the Boys go their a 5 for sure.

I don't agree with Garcia's own assessment that they sucked in '67 (actually what he said was "pee-yew!"), and there is some skill here. Don't know why he got rid of the Bigsby vibrato. Anyway: yeah, it's good.

I normally don't care for the frenetic and sloppy playing I've heard on most recordings from '67, but this one is great. They are fast and tight, and Cream Puff War and Golden Road are rare treats which sound terrific. Love PigPen's Hammond work. This is as good as early Dead gets.

Three words to describe this show - Psychedelic Surf Blues. Every time I listen to ’66 or ’67 I think it sounds like Surf music and it is mostly due to the Starfire he was playing at the time. That twangy hollow body sound is awesome. The sound he gets reminds me of a cross between Dick Dale and Freddie King. Jerry’s furious earth scorching soloing during almost every song is unreal. The show kicks off with a double time MAMU which has Bobby’s young voice straining and yelling. Immediately you can hear Jerry ‘s treble solo which fast and ferocious. Pig comes on strong with Next Time You See Me with great vocals and accents from Jerry. No harp solo from Pig on this one, which I found a little odd. Next it’s Jerry’s turn to sing the super cowboy ballad He was a Friend. Well executed and somewhat reminiscent of the acoustic sets to come a few years down the road. Next is Smokestack and it f'ing rules. That riff sounds soo good with the extra twang provided by the Guild. Pig’s hot, and so is this tune. Outstanding. Dew is next and incredible. What a great early version of this song – emotional as hell and furious playin by Jerry. Great little jam out with Jerry screamin the lyrics at the end. Hurts Me Too sounds fantastic on the Starfire as well. This version sounds closer to Elmore James’ version than any other I have heard from the band. Nice. BIODTL made me chuckle at the beginning because its soo goddam fast…I mean triple time for the 12 year old Bobby Weir on the mic…Speedball from hell right here. After that we close with another Bobby tune, Dancin’. I hate latter era Dancin’ and love early ones. This is a perfect example of why. The tempo, Bobby’s little kid voice coupled with Jerry’s furious playing. Wow, that jam out to close the first set was a thing of beauty. First set done and I am awestruck again by the intensity the band had in 1967.

Second set starts with Golden Road and I am in heaven. Jerry says something to the effect of ‘Welcome to the post Chuck Berry Set” and proceeds to rip shit up. Unreal. Next is Cream Puff War, and I was once again amazed at Jerry’s soloing. I mean, it has been great so far but this is from another planet. Furious out of mind blistering treble soloing that left me speechless. Pig comes back up next with Same Thing and they have this one down. Great placement after the barnburning Cream puff War..Slowing it down before the big finish. Next is the surf medley CRS. This one is very, very quick and sounds just like it should be played in one of those old surf movies right after someone yells “Outside” meaning an outside set. All the surfers go nuts and fast surf music plays in the background as they battle the rouge waves…Old surf movie shit right there. Love it. And then they proceed to blow the roof clean off with a killer Viola and cut Death Don’t.

The things that standout are the cohesiveness that they already have – playing off each other and sounding very tight for playing so freakin fast(most of the time). Also, Jerry’s earthscorching soloing on almost every tune. The fast, ferocious sound out of that Guild Starfire is awesome. A+ show that gets my very highest recommendation. You will be hard pressed to find a tighter, more important show from 1967. It showcases exactly what they were already capable of way back when. Talent galore with a remarkable edge about them. They take no prisoners and burn the place down on the way out….All Hail 3/18/67, All Hail Psychedelic Surf Blues

Incredible performance! I just wish the quality was better. I know that this is an older show, but i've heard older with a lot better quality.

Oh my god, 1967. I had no idea. I thought 76 was a revelation (it is), but this... pure IT joy.

I just don't listen to enough of this early stuff. This is a high-energy gem of a performance. For me, Pigpen steals the show especially on Smokestack. I gave an extra star for the sound quality.

I love the primal Dead sound. This you is a good example of that sound. Jerry's guitar constantly on the attack. Pigpen sounding like a reincarnated black blues singer. The end of "the Same Thing," is A great example. The band plays A pretty heavy version of the Dixon tune. Instead of ending the tune in A standard fashion, they jams out of the back end for a few minutes. Primal dead at it's finest

Jerome is absolutely mesmerizing throughout, what a killer psychedelic masterpiece of a show. I thought all the best Dancing's were in 1969-70...NO WAY...this Dancing is as good as it gets! Must have primal raging GD for the time capsule!! THANK YOU ARCHIVE!!!

I'm more of a Dew and TIFTOO guy; never cared much for Dancin'. BUT, Hucker is dead-on: this Dancin' is smokin'. It bursts into a conflagration at the eight minute mark.

Sound is quality is impeccable. A tasty CPW and Golden Road. This is primal.

Enjoy,
TOOTMO

Some rather amazing primal Garcia guitar work here!

Not only is this Dancin' in the Streets a candidate for a best ever performance of the song, it just might be the most compelling 10 minutes of music played during the entire year of 1967. (97 pts)

l.rosley said it all, superb show here just a treat to listen to, amazing throughout

Excellent show and pretty damn good recording considering it's 43 years old. Sure as hell wish Pigpen had lived a full life span.

i'm a young head (21), who has been scouring archive and other places these past couple of months looking for my holy grail, which is a high quality live recording of the golden road(to unlimited devotion). i really like it on this show and have recently stumbled across a couple others, but they're all only available in streaming format. does anyone know where i can find a downloadable version? if so, could you please email it to me at scottf.gallie@stu.bmcc.cuny.edu? i'm not sure if i'll be able to remember exactly which show i posted this on, which is why i'm giving my email address. i have some sweet recordings of mother mccrees uptown jug champions i'd be happy to trade with whomever helps me. thanks alot guys!!

...for the highest quality superlative 1967 San Francisco Dead show you are ever gonna get for free. Don't waste any more time reading this or deciding what to do about, just hook up your computer to your stereo (1/8 inch to RCA-line in), then either tape it, rip it, or send another RCA to 1/8th inch cord via TAPE OUT or LINE OUT from your receiver, back into the computer and rip it with SoundForge, ProTools, SoundStudio, GarageBand, Audacity, whatever. Do it before it goes on sale! This is where it's at. Cream Puff War & Golden Road are THE SHIT as is Dancin' & Viola Lee....and Death Don't.

Viva La Dead! See you at Shoreline 5/10/09!!

catfishbob- your right man pig pen is like frodo Garcia's a hobbit too and like Lesh is like an elf

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5 Stars for the mix
5 stars for the recording
5 stars for the Performance

For those not satisfied with the "pitch or sound" I recommend using your Windows Media Player. It will allow you to adjust the EQ and Speed.

I also recommend using RealPlayer, it has a free 3 band EQ to adjust the sound while downloading or streaming. Once you've downloaded the song, open it in your WMP. WMP has a 10 band EQ and "speed adjust" which allows you to fiddle with the speed of the music to slow it down or speed it up.

This show does'nt sound off pitch to me. It does sound like the GRATEFUL DEAD in 1967.

I highly recommend adding this show to your 1967 GRATEFUL DEAD collection.

Garcia's guitar sounds like Freddie King's guitar at this show.

Eat, Drink, Be Merry and Listen to the GRATEFUL DEAD.

Thanks for the Love from 1967.

I miss 1967.

You're right. It is a touch fast.

However, this is pretty much the way the band sounded then -- frenetic! The band liked to play fast in 1967.

When you hear Same Thing you realize that the pitch on this recording is not all that far off.

Actually, I went to see Chuck Berry and then learned through the rumor mill that this was sort of the Dead's public album release party.

Winterland was quite the cavernous experience. Of the 2000 there that night easily 20 percent of the audience was black and this was quite unusual to a 17 year old teenager from white suburbia, but it was okay. We all had a fine time and Chuck did not let us down.

It also seemed to me that the black folks in attendance liked the Dead as much as the white folk liked Chuck.

Now that's parity!

Parity on, dudes and dudettes!

A great setlist, combining the best of the 1966 material and is really the last show before they started playing songs that would end up on Anthem of the Sun.

This is the last known performance of Cream Puff War, which, amazingly, they only played 7 times, according to Deadbase. This is one of the best.

This show has the first performance of The Golden Road, from the Dead's recently released first album. It's a good song, but they only played it 3 times.

I love these early Dancing in the Streets, which start out Motown and quickly go psychedelic.

Pigpen is the Dead's best singer of this era, and this show has lots of PigPen blues, featuring Smokestack Lightning and It Hurts Me Too, bit in particular, The Same Thing. A rarity, but one of PigPen's best blues songs. Starts out slow and steamy, and builds into a frenzy. Pigpen and Jerry in sync. Jerry is hot. The Same Thing is a show highlight.

This is followed a fast Rain and Snow, typical for the period, and a treat. This one is tight.

Viola Lee Blues is another highlight. Jerry and Phil dueling it out in psychedelic hyperspeed, ever accelerating. Amazing to hear; must have been amazing to see live. (Viola fans, check out also 7/29/66.) Jerry continues his fiery hot streak on Death Don't Have No Mercy, which is not the slow ballad that it is on 1969's Live Dead. It is unfortunately cut off at the end.

I love the Dead of '69, '72-74, late '70's, early '80's -- but this is a side of the Grateful Dead that soon disappeared. We are lucky to have it.

One disappointment in the recording is that Pigpen's organ is not audible many of the songs. Not only does this leave gaps, but Pigpen's keyboard playing was a central driving force and an important part of the early Dead sound in these 1966 and early 1967 shows. Fortunately, the keyboard becomes more audible in during the second set.

The Me and My Uncle is painful (they had only been playing it a few months) -- historical interest only.

Listening to this set provoked an strange, unexpected thought... too bad Pig Pen was not there when Peter Jackson was casting his Lord of the Rings...
I really see Pig as Frodo.

Great show, guys. Fine voices and playing all around. And Billy, yeah Billy's been solid from the beginning.

Always fun to listen to shows on their anniversary date, and this show is no exception. The band is just really starting to show us some chops. This is a great re-mastering job with the pitch corrections. Had a tape of this for a couple of decades, sounds fresh and new. A Wicked, Wicked Viola. A 5-star pre-1969 recording and performance.

This is a sick so and by the far the best Cream puff war I have ever heard!!! Amazing! Good sound quality as well, five stars for sure! :)

"The Same Thing" from this show is the first thing I ever heard from GD. A co-worker made me a GD mixtape and it opened with this. I don't think I'm being sentimental but this track is among the most perfect things GD ever did. Group improv at its best.

that was ridiculous everyone must listen to this especially:

THE SAME THING

VIOLA LEE BLUES

DANCING IN THE STREET

is anyone willing to trade some cds??

Wow, Jerry and Pigpen are on fire for this show. And yes that's Pigpen on keyboards, Tom Constanten didn't join until November of 1968. The guitar playing is sublime throughout and this show contains what I consider the finest Dancing in The Streets I've ever heard, Bobbys' awful vocals notwithstanding. For most of this show Bobby's vocals are pretty warbly and out of tune unfortunately, not a good show for him. But the other tunes and playing make up for his vocal indiscretions. The Same Thing is outstanding. It's not just Jerry whose hitting creative heights, Pigs vocals on The Same Thing and Next Time You See Me and It Hurts Me Too are some of the most soulful I've ever heard him do. His organ playing is quite good too. Really you owe it to yourself to hear this show, it's amazing. The only complaints are that the sound isn't the best, s'okay for 1967 though and several songs are cut and patched from different source. Unfortunately the end of Death Don't is completely missing. This is a must have show warts and all.

Purusing through the reviews below, there's not much to add that hasn't already been said about this early gem in the Dead's canon. 'The Same Thing' is about the meanest, scorchingest, near-twelve minutes of smokin' blues, perfectly showcasing Pigpen and his 'backup' band. Ha! Get yourself a copy now!

thank you to all who make these shows available, come someone please send me this show or tell me how i can download it

I think this is a fine show considering the band's sound and approach wasn't even close to fully formed yet. As someone who remembers when you were grateful to find anything remotely listenable from before 1969, I feel the sound is certainly above average, though far from pristine (God knows I've heard worse). There certainly is nothing wrong with the pitch. I wouldn't recommend this to a newbie by any means, but I've actually been suprised at to find myself reaching for this one several times a year. Jerry really lets one rip during Dancin'.

As a much later in the game Head, but one who used to do a lot of tape trading (remember "tapes?") I always liked this era, the TC organ and snappier tempos are just sort of fun and rollicking. Also, you get gems like Viola Lee and Same Thing. Whatever, not the best sound in the world (though better than my maxells) and great playing. Historically cool show.

Same Thing is why Jerry Garcia is one of the best guitarist.

Versatility,versatility.

From that to the acoustic stuff from his band 10-17-87.

Without the blues no one would be compelled to make music. Good or bad.

TO THE GUY ON THIS POST, EXCELLENT VERSION OF "GOLDEN ROAD" FILLMORE AUDITORIUM; 5-5-67

SHOW RATING: 5 STARS *****

I guess this is why I became such a head...my mother not particularly into the boys but ...I assume from here teachings (musically)...This is why I beacame a HEAD...lol....have to say such an amazing quality of music for such an early date....JUST BEAUTIFUL....Peace to the family

Besides being a fabulous early show (damn were they TIGHT in 1967) - this is the ONLY live recording of "Golden Road" that I have been able to find in years of searching. Seeing as they only played it three times in 30 years, this show should be cherished.

I'm usually kind of anal when it comes to the sound of the recording, but with this tape, i don't give a sh*t. This is a great show and the performance is incredible not to mention an awesome setlist. This is my favorite 1967 show. Pigpen and Jerry are on fire. Sound quality is 50/50 but there are hardly any cuts except for golden road but only for a few seconds at the beginning. its a good shows. five in my book

The pitch on this totally fantastic show seems OK to me, the Dead just played really fast then. Do not sleep on this nugget. The Same Thing....damn!!! Viola Lee......words...can't....compute......

People who rate shows from 1967-68 badly merely on sound should take history more into consideration....a poor quality show from then should not be rated as harshly as a low quality show from, say, 10 years later, much less Brent era and beyond.

Its fine. This is absolutely classic early dead jams. The band is definitely maturing from the great 1966 performances also on the archive..everything is expanding rapidly.

I have the original Scorpio bootleg cd that came out in '93 or so and the sound is much clearer. Although it runs a little fast and jerry's guitar is too loud in some spots, I think that if the cd's pitch was corrected and the "Same Thing" was added from the box set, this show would get the respect it deserves. On the original, it all sounds like the one song on the box set, with none of the hiss and muddyness that is present here. Any opinions? I don't have the tech to slow it down, but I will glady burn a copy for anyone who will correct it and bounce me back a corected version.

Do it, but understand that the sound's not great- not unlistenable by any means, not even by average 67 standards, but not great either. Historically, as said below, essential...5 for show, 3 for sound.

I enjoyed this show quite well. As someone who didn't tune in until the early eighties, this generally is not my favorite era of the Band. However, I liked the quicker tempo of some of the songs, and the jam during The Same Thing is an excellent example of early Garcia genius! The sound quality is also quite good compared to most that I have previously heard from this time period.

ENJOY!!!!!!

Historically interested should DEFINITELY check this one out...several future concert staples in embryonic form...MeNMyUncle...Dancin'...Morning Dew...parts of the setlist could pass for any later era.
Sound quality is passable-to-unlistenable at times...some volume dropouts and distortion amid decent mid-60's clarity. Curious? Stream it!
Note: This version of That Same Thing was on So Many Roads boxset.

good show good setlist good covers, including he was a friend of mine

I found this to be a very interesting show. The band changes imensely by the years end. So, it's well worth giving this a listen to hear the metamorphasis. One big reason for their sound at this point was Jerry's choice of guitar. He's using a Guild hollowbody. The sound is very clear and articulate (similar to the sound he'd get later with Fender Stratocasters). By the years end he's using a Gibson Les Paul. Thick tone aided by the fact that he was probably playing much louder to keep up with the second drummer!
Anyway, at certian points in the recording Jerry's guitar is way too loud and glaring. There are a number of volume adjustments that are pretty annoying. It's very true about the great choice of covers the Dead would choose to do. Unfortunately, Friend of Mine wasn't one of them. (Sorry if I might have offened any "Friend of Mine" fans, it's just IMHO).
Despite some faults, this is still highly recommendable. It's historically important and has was a pretty good show to boot! Four stars: check it out.

I don't normaly review shows I didn't go to, but if anyone remembers going to this one; well LUCKY them ! This is definitely the real thing as far as music is concerned from this era and so forth ! The song list should speak for itself, besides this definitive, performance of the Same Thing etc. (I don't use that word lightly).
Even though it's a cover, that's part of my point. ie. how not only in this case but later on throughout the span of Grateful Dead; how they could take a cover and make it their own, and sometimes dare I say better than the original, yet obviously not to deminish the composer. I shouldn't have to cite examples, but to name a few : Around and Around, Not Fade Away, Cold Rain and Snow, Morning Dew, Turn on Your Lovelight, Sittin' on top of the World, Dancin' in the Streets, etc.